


Code Black

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Category: Glee, Magnificent Seven
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Journey, Terrorism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-11
Updated: 2012-01-11
Packaged: 2017-10-29 09:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/318085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All they want to do is go home. A potentially fatal set of events unfurls as a massive storm traps two mismatched groups at the airport. WARNING - TERRORISM IS INVOLVED - IF THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR YOU, PLEASE DON'T READ!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Code Black

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing for either Magnificent Seven or Glee other than some DVDs.

  
[   
](http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/Caitriona3/Big%20Bang%20Art/?action=view&current=mag2a-1.jpg)   


**Nondescript little motel on the outskirts of Denver**

As the maid entered room 102, she frowned at the excessive amount of trash and debris scattered around the room.

“Odd,” she muttered to herself as she peered around.

The occupant of the past month had usually kept things neat as a pin. Most days, she and the other cleaners had commented on how much they preferred to work on his room as it took so little effort. Mr. Ibn Ayyub was a quiet man, composed and reticent. He had been a little standoffish perhaps, but polite, and that was a marked difference from the drunks they normally had to deal with. There had been a good deal of gossip among the staff as to why such a man was staying in a place like this. They had finally decided that the bad state of the economy had led to his current situation. Still, he had been a wonderful guest to have. He must have had a very bad night to leave things in such a state. With a deep sigh, she began gathering the trash and torn paper scattered throughout the room. If she had taken a closer look at some of that torn paper, she might not have been so casual.

Finally, it is time! In a few more hours my martyrdom will be nearing completion! My service has been brief, for I saw not the truth until such a short time ago. May Allah forgive me for my blindness! Thanks to the intervention of those wise men who proclaim the teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, I have been brought into the light of belief. Now, I can atone for allowing darkness to influence my life; I will give everything over to Him for His glory. When fire rains from the sky, may Allah grant that all who witness it be awakened to His truth and His power. Death to the oppressors! Death to those who subject the people! Allah summons all to the struggle.

 **Denver International Airport – Glee**

A weary group of teenagers gathered in one of the many seating areas to wait for their flight. According to their original itinerary, they should already be on a plane back to Ohio; they had only stopped in Denver as a brief layover – no more than two hours. That had been almost five hours ago. Not an hour after landing, the airport had been closed due to harsh weather conditions. A massive storm system had been threatening Denver for almost two days, but prevailing wind currents had kept it at bay. Those winds had finally shifted, and the storm had roared down from the north with all of its pent up energy seeking new prey. Patience began to erode as boredom set in - they had not been prepared for a lengthy wait.

One of the teens, a lovely blond with a slightly vacant air about her reached for her carry-on and dragged out a journal. Shifting around to sit cross-legged in the chair, she leaned over the book and began to write.

 _August 6th_

 _Well, now we’re stuck in Denver…our plane’s been held up by the snow. Quinn’s complaining about wanting to get home – she’s had enough with cheap hotels and the lack of a good shower. I thought our hotel was nice! At least the people were – no one looked at me funny like they do back home. Disneyland was fun! I’m glad we got to go to the invitational out there; Mom and Dad can’t afford these kinds of trips, but Principal Figgins said he’d find the money for us to go to such a “wonderful exhibition of talent”. (I had to ask San how to spell exhibition…still not sure what that means, but I guess it’s what we did.)_

 _It was really kind of weird though. I mean, people made all kinds of changes in Disneyland…I guess the magic in the Magic Kingdom really works…at least on some people. Not everybody changed, but now some people aren’t talking and others are dating…I don’t think they’re having sex though. Sex is not dating…I guess that means dating is not sex either._

 _(Lord Tubbington – if you read this, you cannot talk about it. This is a private diary, not a gossip blog.)_

 _So, changes…well, Rachel and Finn were dating when we left Ohio, but when we left California, they weren’t. He kept wandering after Quinn and leaving Rae on her own. Three days into our trip, after we finished with the competition for the day, she went to the restroom and Q. called him, so he left. He just left her there in the middle of the park – she didn’t know where anybody was, so she was lost! Puck got really pissed about that…he doesn’t like it when Finn just leaves her on her own. He’s been doing that a lot since school ended._

 _Anyway, Rae called Finn, but he wasn’t answering his phone. Mercedes told her later that he’d left the park with Q. They went back to the hotel to fool around, and didn’t tell anybody they were leaving. Mr. Schue wasn’t happy because he’s supposed to have a General idea of where we are. (What does an Army officer have to do with Glee club? I’ll ask Mr. Schue later.)_

 _So, anyway, when Finn didn’t answer, Rae called Puck…she always goes to him first, it’s really kind of cute! San thinks it’s sickening, but she means it in the so-cute-its-sick way. He’s really into her. (Rae I mean, not San – they don’t do that anymore.) So, when she called, he went to find her and spent the rest of the day with her. Sometimes we saw them, but usually they were off on their own. They were good though; they didn’t leave the park._

 _Finn and Q. got into trouble and San said they deserved it. I’m not sure what happened between San & Q., but something did and San’s ignoring her whenever she can. If it’s not for Glee or Cheerios, then San doesn’t give her the time of day. (That’s what Kurt said, but I still don’t get why he pointed that out – San’s not talking to her at all, so of course she wouldn’t tell her what time it was.)_

 _Finn tried to sit next to Rae at dinner and apologize, but Rae told him off. It was kind of funny, and San thought it was great. When Rae gets going, she gets loud and scary, and I think almost the whole place was staring. Kurt recorded it too. San really liked this part:_

 _  
“And just why do you think I would want to be anywhere near you, Finn Hudson? You can take yourself back over to the blond bit of fluff you have been with all afternoon. I already have companions for dinner and even if I did not, I certainly would not welcome any advances from the likes of you. I do believe your presence would turn my stomach.”   
_

_Finn got all puppy-eyed and tried to talk to her again, but Puck pushed him away, and Mike helped block him from coming back. When Finn protested, San actually got involved. She walked up from behind Finn and sat down next to Rae, pulling me into the seat on her other side. She gave Finn a good glare._

 _  
“Pretty sure you heard the midget, boy toy. She’s already got company and there’s no more room. So shoo.”   
_

_With everybody staring, he went to sit by Q. She acted all upset with him since he had tried to talk to Rae, so he ended up just talking to Mr. Schue. San actually talked some to Rae, though more to Puck who sat on Rae’s other side. The next day, after we did our performance, Rae told San that she had done a wonderful job on her solo. When we got to go out and wander the park again, it ended up being six of us in a group – me, San, Rae, Puck, Mike, & Tina. I kind of think we’re all friends now. And that’s really cool because I like all of them!_

 _The last few days in California ended up being like that. Finn kept trying to talk to Rae while messing with Q. on the side. (That’s what San said anyway, but Q. was never beside Finn when he went to Rae. I don’t get it.) Any way, since he kept trying to talk to Rae, Puck got really pissed and ended up hitting him at one point. Nobody said anything though, so Puck didn’t get in trouble. San still calls Rae midget from time to time, but normally it’s Rae or Rach. She says I’m not allowed to write what she’s calling Q. (You know, just in case you tell on her, Lord Tubbington!) Puck and Rae are being “friends,” but San laughs every time they say that and teases them about how long that will last._

 _Ouch! San just elbowed me in the side, but it was a good thing! Eye candy! Well, they’re nice to look at, even if I don’t know if they’re sweet or not. There are seven of them that just walked in the room. Looks like they’re looking for places to sit, but they don’t look too happy._

 _The guy in front is blond and mean-looking. It doesn’t look like he smiles much – he’s got frown lines, not smile lines. Still, he’s got really nice eyes…maybe he’s the kind that looks scary but doesn’t mean it? Eyes are always good ways to judge people. Of course, he’s dressed in all dark colors which make him look meaner, but Tina dresses all dark too, and she’s really sweet._

 _The guy behind him is scruffier…is that a word? Anyway, he’s got some stubble on his chin and longer hair, but he’s got some gorgeous blue eyes. He looks nicer than his friend…he’s smiling more and just kind of seems, I don’t know, softer? Sweeter? I don’t know – it’s just a feeling._

 _San’s eying the third guy, but I think that’s because he’s dressed so fancy. He looks like he’s got a nice credit score, and she’s always been kind of big on that. He’s about the same height as the second guy, but he’s got this great chestnut hair and clear green eyes. His jacket looks like it’d be soft, but his smile is kind of…amused, like he’s laughing at someone._

 _There’s a taller guy who smiles kind of like Puck does when he’s “playing.” The smile that says “I like girls…and they like me.” He’s really friendly looking, and has gorgeous dark blue eyes, but I don’t know about the moustache…I don’t really like facial hair that much. It scratches. He noticed us looking, and gave us all a wink. Definitely a Puck-kind of guy._

 _Next to him is the youngest of them…he’s not even watching where he’s going. He’s too busy typing away on some kind of hand-held. Maybe he’s texting. It’s hard to tell what he looks like, ‘cause he’s got this longish black hair hanging down around his face. He’s almost walked into two walls and three people just since they entered the room. The Puck-guy is keeping a hand on his shoulder to direct him around. It’s kind of nice that they’re not yelling at him to pay attention._

 _I wish people would be that nice to me…though to be fair, San usually is, and so is Puck…and Rae…well, I guess I do have some nice people around me too. So, I’m glad he does too!_

 _Now, the oldest guy is really…well, old. He’s not the biggest of them, but for some reason he makes me think of a big bear…not a teddy bear, but a bear-type bear. You know, all careful and kind of slow-like but can get powerful and mean? I don’t get it – why he feels that way I mean. He’s got gray hair and what Q. always called a strong chin…which I still don’t get, but that’s the shape it’s got. To me it just looks kind of square._

 _Next to him is the tallest of them. He’s a really nice looking black man with a nice smile. It’s a big, wide smile, kind of like Rae’s but without being scary like hers. You know, until I met Rae, I didn’t know smiles could be scary like that. Puck says it’s ‘cause she’s crazy, but…anyway, his isn’t scary, it’s nice. He must be the one who takes care of everyone, because he’s got a first aid kit over his shoulder. It’s a big kit though…I’ve never seen one that big before, and that’s including Coach Sylvester and her “prepped for anything” way of doing things._

 _That’s all of them, and they’re going on through the room. I’ll bet they’re looking for somewhere less crowded. They’d have to split up to sit in here, and they’re sticking pretty close together._

 _Ouch! San’s got some pointed elbows…oh, looks like Puck’s going to go off on Finn any minute. Boy, is he dumb or what? He keeps trying to talk to Rae while holding Q.’s hand. Rae’s ignoring him, but if she shifts any further away, she might as well just climb in Puck’s lap…not that he’d mind, but Mr. Schue is already looking at them funny. That might get them in trouble._

 _Uh, oh…there he goes…write more later._

  
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**Denver International Airport – Mag 7**

“Damn.”

Five men turned their eyes toward their boss at the hissed expletive as he looked around the crowded seating area while their youngest member never looked up from his handheld. Denver’s ATF Team Seven had just gotten home from a long shared assignment in Texas when the massive storm system blew in from the mountains, trapping them at the airport. Everywhere in the place appeared to be crawling with people – those coming and those going all now trapped together. Big as it was, the airport was not set up for a long-term stay by so many folk.

Five pairs of eyes raked the room, looking for places to sit. After the case they had just finished, they had planned to hole up at the ranch for some well-deserved downtime to clear their heads. It had been a nasty one – the gunrunners had been the side business…the Ladislao clan’s main job had been a slavery operation. Children, women, young men – they ran everything, for work in sweatshops and fields, for prostitution, and even for organ harvesting. While proud of their part in bringing them down, they needed some clean air and time to heal from the things they had seen.

Being stuck in an overcrowded airport was not helping.

“Let’s go see if we can request some space in the employee areas,” suggested Buck Wilmington, even as he winked at a group of high school girls who were staring at them. The ladies’ man had played back-up for most of the mission, but sported a bandaged left arm – the bullet had come a little too close.

“An excellent notion,” replied Ezra Standish with a practiced smile that belied his green eyes darting about, conveying how desperately uncomfortable he was in the crowded room. The undercover agent had been in the worst part of the mission, pretending to be a buyer and having to watch as the “merchandise” was set before him. When the bust went down, he had been the obvious target and his ribs still hurt from the tackle that had moved him out of harm’s way.

Chris Larabee gave a brief nod and began stalking towards the exit, silent and menacing, knowing his men needed some space - the sooner the better. Despite their best efforts, there had been an exchange of gunfire, and two close calls for his team. That never went down well with the overprotective boss.

Vin Tanner tailed the leader and undercover agent, his blue eyes focused on both of them with concern. The sharpshooter was even scruffier than usual after three days in a blind waiting for the word to take out the Ladislao boss. His very distance had kept him relatively safe, both physically and psychologically, but his friends had not been so lucky.

“Come on, hotshot,” said Buck, pulling JD Dunne along by the arm as he ambled after them. As usual, the youngest of them felt the need to focus on the cyber-world a little while longer, and proved to be a danger to both himself and the people around him.

The last two men exchanged tired glances and then trailed along behind them. Nathan Jackson rolled his shoulders to release some tension and then hoisted his first aid kit back up on his shoulder. The agent could only be grateful that his services as medic had barely been necessary.

“We best move along, brother,” said Josiah Sanchez in his deep, rumbling voice. “They’ll leave us behind at the rate Chris and Ezra are going.”

“Not that I can blame them for running,” replied Nathan, giving him a wide grin. The group’s profiler simply gave him an amused smirk. Josiah could foresee some difficult days as each member dealt with the particularly troublesome case. Chris and Ezra were simply going to be the two worst.

 _Lord, if you’re listening, we could sure use some rest._

After a few words with airport security, the team was shown to a half-hidden seating area. The room itself was reserved for employees only, but they had been granted leave to relax there. The seven men sprawled out in the corner furthest from the door. The seats formed a square-shaped “U”, with four seats against the wall, and a line of seats going up either side of the row.

Folding his jacket and putting it under his head, Vin stretched out on the floor and propped his feet up on one of the chairs against the back wall. He may have been relatively safe in his blind, but staying at the ready, waiting for the call, had not allowed him to rest. The plane ride certainly had not provided any relief, and now he just wanted to find a flat surface and sleep. If it had to be the floor, then so be it.

Ezra glanced down at his teammate and gave a tired smile.  
“I _would_ be wearing Armani today,” he muttered, shifting in the cushioned seat. “If I thought for one moment that Judge Travis would have the kindness of heart to allow my expense report by, I might just join you down there, Mr. Tanner.”

“Don’t even think about it,” murmured Chris, his eyes closed and head tilted back against his own chair on the right side of his agent. “I wouldn’t pass it along.”

The other five agents gave soft laughs as they found their own ways to relax.

“Humph,” snorted the undercover agent, covering a wince as he shifted his ribs. “Plebeians, the whole lot of you.”

Nathan gave the Southerner a searching look, noting the lines of pain deepening around his mouth and at the corners of his eyes. Digging into his pack, he pulled out a bottle of water and some aspirin. He sat down to Ezra’s left. As the chestnut haired man cracked his eyes open to peer at him in curiosity, he gave him a direct look.

“You need to go ahead and take these.”

Ezra tilted his head and spotted the pills. He frowned, but Nathan gave a minute shake of the head.

“They’re just aspirin. I don’t want to give you anything stronger when we don’t know how long we’ll be here. I can see the pain you’re in though, and this will just take the edge off. Your side has got to be hurting…Josiah packs a wallop even when he’s not trying.”

“Mr. Jackson,” Ezra began.

“Shut up, Ez, and take the pills,” interrupted Chris. The team leader had opened his eyes when Nathan began talking. Buck’s injury had only been a scratch really, but Josiah had tackled Ezra as the bad guys had tried to cut him down with a hail of bullets. Neither of them had taken a hit, but that had been a whole lot of power for the ribs to take.

Clear green eyes shifted to meet his gaze as the owner clearly weighed the idea of arguing. With a shrug, the undercover agent gave up on the idea and took the pills without further argument. Chris’ eyes narrowed on his friend’s face for a long, searching moment. Ezra blinked, brow wrinkling in confusion. Vin gave a tired laugh from the floor, closing his eyes even as he chuckled. As the other men looked down at him and the silence grew, he opened his eyes to give them a bland stare.

“What?” he asked. “Ez didn’t really try arguing about takin’ the pills, and to top it off, he didn’t say a word about Chris callin’ him ‘Ez’. Any wonder the boss is suspicious?”

Nathan gave a big grin as Josiah chortled, wagging a finger in Ezra’s direction.

“He’s got you there, brother! You aren’t usually so casual.”

“Yeah, Slick, you’re slipping,” teased Buck. His legs were stretched out and his chin rested on his chest, but his eyes peered at his friend across the aisle. He nudged JD, but their technology expert just gave him a light shove in return and continued focusing on his hardware. The older man just rolled his eyes as the younger ignored him.

Ezra gave a frown to the entire group, though they could see it was merely a façade. He slumped back down in his chair and stretched out his legs. Closing his eyes, he folded his arms over his chest and ignored the chuckling from the other men.

“Oh, shut up, all of you,” he grumbled, shifting as he tried to get comfortable.

Josiah gave another chuckle and settled back to try and get some rest, as Nathan moved back over next to him, taking a seat in the chairs against the wall, stepping over Vin as he did so. The sharpshooter just shot a grin up at Ezra from his place on the floor as he watched his injured friend get checked over by their leader one last time. Ezra did not even bother to open his eyes, just flicked a hand at him in exasperation. A hint of a smile drifted across Chris’ face as he shot Buck a look of mingled amusement and affection. Buck just shrugged, tilting his head towards the oblivious JD as the hacker’s fingers flew across his miniature device with confidence.

His tired eyes scanning his men and the room one last time, Chris leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankle. Folding his arms over his chest and lowering his chin, he tried to settle in for some well deserved rest. Fortunately for all concerned, Judge Travis had given them a month’s leave, citing personal and medical necessity. The team had volunteered to give up their saved vacation time if necessary, but the judge had pulled some strings with the higher-ups, and used all of his influence to get them this time as paid leave. It was an unusual move, but they had been going non-stop for nine months now, and although their physical injuries were lighter than usual, their psychological wounds ran deep. He closed his eyes, determined to get what rest he could while they were stuck here.

 _Damn, I want to be at the ranch right now…why is there always bad weather when we’re trying to get home?_

  
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Puck opened his mouth, ready to give Finn hell when Rachel’s elbow caught him in the side. Moving his gaze to hers, he spotted her giving Schue a wary look. Sure enough, their teacher had a careful eye on all of them. Rolling his eyes, he tried to shift himself into a more comfortable position. They had been stuck in the airport for way too long. If they were on the plane, they would at least be moving. Being trapped in a building on the ground had started to wear on everybody’s nerves.

 _This being stuck really sucks. I’m ready to go postal on Hudson, Satan’s going to eat Q alive any minute now, Beyonce’s snapping at ‘Cedes, and Rae’s being quiet. Okay, normally wouldn’t complain about that one, but that shit’s not normal._

He glanced to his right as Rachel shifted again. She only had another couple of inches or so before she would have to give up and either climb into his lap or sit somewhere else. His vote would be for the first option, but it pissed him off that Hudson could not seem to learn when to back off. Even as he watched, Finn tried once more to shift closer to Rachel, ignoring the dirty look Quinn gave him as well as the irritation practically pouring off of Puck. When Rachel shifted again, turning her back to him, and Finn began to reach out to touch her shoulder, Puck decided enough was enough.

Standing abruptly and pulling Rachel to her feet, Puck looked over towards their teacher.

“Hey, Mr. Schue, be okay if Rae and I take a walk? This sitting around is getting lame fast.”

Although he did not want his students scattered around an airport in a strange town, Will Schuster knew some of his students had short fuses and limited patience. At the rate things were deteriorating, he could only be happy no one had gotten physical as yet. Although both he and Emma had a private bet on who would lose their temper first, the one thing they agreed upon was the victim of the attack. Finn Hudson had charm, an excellent singing voice, and some leadership abilities, but he could occasionally be thick as a post. Letting Puck and Rachel stretch their legs might bring the whole situation back to a simmer before it boiled over.

“All right, Puck. Don’t go too far, and one of you has a phone, right?” he asked.

“Yes, of course, Mr. Schuster,” answered Rachel. “I have my phone, and it has been fully charged and I have already checked to make sure we have a signal. It is not as strong as it could be, but it should still…”

“Great,” interrupted Puck. “C’mon Berry, let’s book.”

He began striding away, pulling Rachel along with him. Glancing back over his shoulder, Puck caught the hangdog look Finn sent after them even while Quinn rolled her eyes. Santana threw him a wink while Brittany smiled. He sent a shrug to the two Cheerios, and continued walking at a fast pace until they were out of sight. Once the rest of the glee club had vanished in the crowd, he slowed down.

Rachel looked up at him as they began to just stroll along.

“In a hurry, Noah?” she asked.

He snorted.

“I figured if we waited too long, that douche might decide to invite himself along,” he replied.

“Oh, good thinking,” she sighed. “I am not entirely sure exactly what his problem is. I will admit that it hurts, but I have accepted that he will always choose Quinn Fabray when it comes to the sticking point. However, I do not believe that in any way gives him the right to continue pursuing me and not letting me move on. By the way, I do apologize for practically climbing into your lap, but he kept trying to touch me. As a matter of fact, it is beginning to get a bit disturbing. I think he may be the slightest bit obsessive, and while I know as a young starlet I may have to deal with such stalkers, I believe high school is a little early to begin having that kind of a headache.”

Puck huffed out a laugh and she looked up at him with a brilliant smile.

“I was wondering where you’d disappeared to,” he teased.

When she frowned in confusion, he shrugged. Tucking her hand in the crook of his elbow, he maneuvered them both around a group that had chosen to sprawl across the aisle.

“Before you answered Schue about the phone, you haven’t said five words together in over an hour. Even Satan was beginning to look worried,” he finally said.

“Now, Noah, I know I am one of the more verbose in our small set, but I do not believe I talk quite that extensively…at least not enough for you to worry when I am simply…”

She broke off as he fixed her with a direct look and one raised eyebrow. Scrunching up her nose, she considered what she had just said and lifted her shoulders in surrender.

“All right,” she conceded. “I do talk more than most, but I do not consider that a bad trait.”

“Not saying the talking shit’s bad,” answered Puck. “Just saying it’s weird when you go quiet for too long. It’s not normal.”

With her free hand, she gave him a small smack.

“Noah, language!”

“Whatever, Rae,” he laughed, rolling his eyes.

Both of them chuckled and then continued wandering. As she relaxed, Rachel fell back into her habit of talking about Broadway, music, and just about everything else. Puck just grinned down at her whenever they had to stop to avoid walking into people. He usually did not mind her talking, even if he would complain about it just to see her get wound up. Letting her do all the talking let him enjoy the scenery. Her eyes would light up when she got going, and her delicate hands would move in their own dance, providing a supporting argument for whatever she was discussing. Best of all, he could usually get away with staring at her legs. While he had always preferred tall, stacked girls, it was hard to deny that Rachel had a great pair of legs. No one that short should have legs that went for miles.

“You are not listening to me at all, are you Noah?” asked Rachel, smiling up at him.

“Sorry, Rae, were you talking?” he replied. “Hadn’t noticed.”

She rolled her eyes and then shifted closer to him to avoid stepping on someone as they rounded a corner.

“Damn,” Puck said half in amazement as he looked around. “How many people fit into this place anyway?”

“Well, it is a rather large international airport,” she answered as her eyes roamed over the crowd.  
“Wait, look, that hallway looks less full.”

With that, Puck began steering her through the crowd until they reached the less congested hallway. As they strolled down it, she hugged his arm just a bit tighter and leaned into him. Looking down at her, he gave her an affectionate half-smile. They glanced into the open doors they wandered past until they found a room with plenty of empty chairs. As Puck walked in, he noticed a group of familiar looking men sitting in the back corner. It was the same group that had passed the glee club earlier in the crowd. Giving them a long intent look, he continued into the room until Rachel pulled him to a stop.

“Noah,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. “We are not supposed to be in here.”

She pointed to a sign on the wall by the door – “Airport staff only”. He groaned softly and gave her a pleading look, but she shook her head. His shoulders slumped slightly, but he began to follow her back out. A voice from behind them brought them to a stop.

“You might as well have a seat,” said a tall, mustached man from where he lounged. “The staff’ve got more important things to worry about than someone sittin’ in here. We’ll tell ‘em we said it was okay.”

The man’s friends smiled or nodded at the two teens, but Rachel still looked undecided. The youngest of the men stood up and walked over, pulling something like a billfold out of his pocket. When he flipped it open, it revealed a badge declaring him to be Agent Dunne of the ATF.

“Really,” he said reassuringly. “It’s awful crowded out there, and you’ll be a lot more comfortable here.”

She bit her lip and looked up at Puck. He stared at the agent and then over to the rest of the team; his eyes serious and considering. Despite everything, Rachel trusted his instincts in dangerous situations over hers. When he gave a slow nod, she gave a sigh of relief and smiled at the men.

“Would it be all right if we invited a couple of more friends?” she asked. When the men exchanged glances, she hurried to reassure them. “I promise we will keep the numbers contained. It should only be four more people.”

At that, the men looked to a lanky blond man who gave a quick nod. Agent Dunne turned a boyish smile on the pair of teenagers.

“Sure,” he answered. “Four more people won’t hurt anything.”

Rachel turned her brightest smile on the group. A couple of the men blinked and gave her odd looks, but the others melted just a bit, smiling back at the pretty brunette.

“Thank you so very much! I cannot begin to tell you how much we appreciate this. Those crowds were simply too much! Anyway, my name is Rachel Berry, and this is…”

“Puck,” he interrupted before she could give his full name.

With another smile from Rachel, the two teens moved to the other side of the room. She pulled out her phone and typed out a lengthy text. Puck gave her a questioning look.

“I texted Santana,” she replied. “I told her where we were in case she, Britt, Tina and Mike wanted to join us.”

He nodded before sitting down and stretching out. Groaning as his joints popped, he gave her a relaxed grin.

“Just think we can do our waiting without having to deal with Saint Finn or…”

“All right,” she interrupted, taking a seat beside him. “I am certainly glad to be away as well, but we do not have to belabor the issue. We can just forget they are here for a bit.”

“I’d ask if you wanted to make out,” he started, grinning.

She laughed.

“Not in public, Noah.”

He blinked at her answer before a wicked smile broke over his face.

“So,” he said, “how about we talk about it when we get home, somewhere private?”

She just gave him her sweetest smile and then put her legs across his lap so she could look at him as they talked. His hands came to rest on her shins and rubbed gently. They talked and laughed quietly, paying no attention to the ATF agents across the room.

  
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“Well,” Nathan observed, “they are a bit of an odd couple.”

“A bit clichéd if you ask me,” replied Ezra. “What could be more Hollywood than the well-spoken, educated good girl and the dangerous but golden hearted bad boy?”

JD blinked at him before glancing over his shoulder at the pair.

“How’d you get that, Ez?” he asked.

The undercover agent shifted, and looked at his young teammate. Searching the curious hazel eyes, he realized JD seriously wanted to hear his answer.

“Let me begin with the girl then. When they first entered and she caught sight of the warning sign, she immediately tried to lead him back out. Obviously, she has been raised to have a great deal of respect for the rules and regulations. She may not be slavishly dedicated to following the law, but I believe it would it take something more serious than overcrowding to make her break the rules. In addition, she used very few, if any contractions, and her vocabulary choices as well as her manners were definitely more appropriate than the normal teenager might usually use in the same situation. Her hair is worn in a classical style, and her clothing choice is more modest than many her age would wear while still being more high maintenance than simplistic.”

“All right,” Buck said. “What about him?”

“First off, he does not have the same regard for the rules as his companion. He appeared more than willing to ignore the sign if she had allowed him to. Also, he scrutinized each of us carefully when they first entered, and then again after JD showed them his badge. Please note, he did all of this while keeping the young lady carefully to the side where he could get her out of harm’s way had it proven necessary. He may or may not be a law-breaker, but he certainly has had to deal with law enforcement, and not all of it positive. He does not seem hardened enough to be an actual criminal, but it is possible that he has been marked as a trouble maker and has to deal with overzealous members of his local police force. His hairstyle and his nickname both indicate a rebellious nature while his choice of blue jeans, white t-shirt, and black leather jacket reflects a more simplistic, casual style.”

Chris smirked when a couple of the others gaped at Ezra.

“And that,” the leader said softly, “is why he does the undercover work.”

“What I find interesting,” Ezra continued as the others made sounds of agreement, “is the trust that the young woman has in her companion. Despite the badge, and JD’s rather open, trustworthy appearance, she still turned to see how he reacted first.”

“Trusts his natural instincts,” noted Vin from his spot on the floor.

“How do you mean, brother?” Josiah asked.

“Well,” replied the sharpshooter. “Some kids learn early to spot trouble. They grow up hard or in broken homes, and some kids come home to empty houses because both parents work. Either way, survival and safety depend upon spottin’ that one thing that’ll lead to someone gettin’ hurt, or worse. Rachel knows he’s got better instincts for danger.”

Silence descended upon the agents as they considered the truth behind Vin’s words. What they tried hard not to dwell on was why their friend would have such insight into broken homes and endangered kids. Chris glanced down, green eyes meeting blue, and gave his friend a slight nod. Vin just shrugged. He used what he had gone through to help others. It had long since stopped bothering him. That healing had taken place a few years ago when he had taken a risk and opened his heart enough to trust six of the most stubborn, annoying, and loyal men he had ever had the privilege to meet.

A few minutes later, they looked up as four more teenagers entered the room. The agents watched as the group made their way over to the original couple. The greetings and opening comments flew back and forth between the six teens.

“Hmm,” Josiah hummed to himself for a moment. “An interesting dynamic in that group.”

The others turned to look at their profiler. He paid them no attention, focusing his observational skills on the group across the room. Buck waited for a moment before balling up some scrap paper and tossing at the older man.

“Well, Preacher,” he said, grinning at Josiah’s fake annoyance. “You goin’ to follow that up with anything?”

Leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, Josiah glanced over his group.

“It’s a fascinating mix of characters, at least based on appearance and general attitude. Most obvious, the group looks like it should be unbalanced, with four females and two males. However, one of the girls, the Latina one, has a more aggressive personality. While she seems quite sultry, her very aggressiveness is less seductive and more forceful. I have no doubt she can be quite the female, but she walks very close to the line between masculine and feminine behavior.”

Buck’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he turned to look over the teens once more. He had pegged the girl for full-out temptress.

“What else?” asked JD, tilting his head in consideration.

“Look at the way everyone reacts to Rachel and Puck,” continued Josiah as he warmed to the topic. “They are the actual leaders of the group. They were the only two not to defer to the Latina girl. Puck just replied in kind while Rachel watched both of them with amused exasperation. However, La Dama…”

“Who?” JD interrupted.

“The Latina girl,” answered Josiah with a smile. “It means ‘lady’. As I was saying, La Dama may have been vocal and pushy, but she looked both of them over carefully to make sure they were all right. As a matter of fact, given the submissive behavior of the other three, I would say that she’s second in command of their little group, with Puck being the leader.”

“So,” commented Vin, peering up from his spot on the floor, “Puck’s alpha of their pack, Rachel’s his mate, and La Dama’s the beta?”

The older man nodded. Vin closed his eyes once more while the others watched as the teens joked and laughed with one another. After a few minutes, the novelty wore off and the men began shifting themselves around once more to get comfortable. Sleep had just begun to descend upon them when a cheery voice interrupted.

“Um, hi! Can you help me?”

All of them turned to see one of the girls walking up to their group. Tall, blonde and pretty, she would turn most men’s heads. Her large blue eyes however were distressingly vague. The phrase “bubbly blond” did cross several minds as she sat down next to Chris. She gave them a bright smile.

“Rae says you’re feds. Is that right?” she asked.

Chris nodded, but before anyone could say anything, Rachel came hurrying over.

“Brittany, what are you doing?”

The blonde turned her smile on her friend.

“Rae, you said they were feds. I’m hoping they can tell me who to talk to about Lord Tubbington.”

“Oh, well, these agents do not deal in that sort of thing, Britt.”

“I know,” Brittany nodded. “Puck told me they go after the men who run with guns. Still, they should know who I can talk to, right?”

“Rachel?”

Both girls turned as the call crossed the room. The men watched as the girl waved to the Latina girl in reassurance. She then turned back to her friend.

“What is Lord Tubbington doing now? Is he reading your diary again?” asked Rachel.

“Yes,” answered the blonde, “but I’ve about given up on getting him to stop doing that. This time I think he stole my X-Box.”

“I really do not think we should be bothering these gentlemen with that. Or,” she hurried to say as Brittany’s face dropped into a pout, “at least not until we have tried everything else. Jumping straight into accusing him of something federal is a really big step.”

The pout morphed into a frown as the blonde girl thought about Rachel’s words. She gave a slow, reluctant nod.

“Well, I guess that’s true, but what do I do first?”

Rachel frowned in thought.

“You know, I could probably ask Noah to have a talk with him. What do you think?” she asked.  
Brittany nodded with enthusiasm.

“Oh, yeah, that would be good. He’s always better behaved for a while after getting good talking to from Puck.”

“Wonderful!” exclaimed Rachel. “I will ask Noah to go over and talk to him just as soon as we get home.”

The blonde girl gave a little squeal and clapped her hands as she jumped up. She tossed her arms around Rachel, pulling her up into a big hug. The smaller brunette just let her be, patting her back and waiting her out. When Brittany finally released her, Rachel directed her back to their group.

“Go on back now, Britt,” she said. “I think Santana wants to talk to you for a moment about your new dance number.”

“Ok, Rae,” she replied already bouncing away. “See you in a minute.”

Rachel watched her leave with a fond smile before turning to the ATF team. She sighed and lifted her hands in a shrug.

“I am terribly sorry about that. Usually we watch her a little more carefully, and head her off before she can get started on strangers.”

“Is she…” Ezra started to ask and then paused, obviously searching his mind for a delicate way to phrase the question burning in their minds.

Rachel just shook her head, still smiling.

“No,” she answered. “Brittany is not crazy. She is just a little…simple. She has perhaps the most positive, optimistic outlook of any one of us, and she still sees the world with a child’s viewpoint.”

A moment of silence settled over the group as they mulled over her answer. Finally, Chris gave her a direct look.

“While I’m not entirely certain I want to know, do you mind telling us who Lord Tubbington is?” he asked.

She gave a little groan and buried her face in her hands for a moment. Looking up, she gave a fond, but slightly vexed smile.

“Lord Tubbington,” she answered, “is Brittany’s cat.”

The men gaped at her for a long moment before JD lifted his hand slightly in question.

“I’m sorry, but her cat stole her X-box?”

Vin snorted. “I’m curious as to how her cat is readin’ her diary.”

Rachel shook her head even as she turned to begin walking back towards her own group.

“We really do not discuss that situation. It gets Britt all worked up.”

As she sat down next to her friends, she sent a smile over to the men who still stared at her. Nathan cleared his throat.

“Suddenly I’m really glad I’m not responsible for that group.”

His teammates traded nods and quick smiles. Vin chuckled under his breath every so often, and even Chris smiled a little more. Ezra closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His final remarks brought a fresh round of laughter to the group before they settled into slumber once more.

“A kleptomaniac feline that peruses private journals as a hobby…do remind me not to get one of those. Lord only knows what he might tell you…or worse, what he might tell Mother.” He paused. “Actually, on second thought, perhaps I should look into acquiring one. It would certainly be a wonderful gift for her.”

  
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_Ice, Ice Baby_ began to play, startling the teenagers and waking the agents. Rachel snatched up her phone to answer it. Standing up, she walked a few feet away from her friends to listen.  
“Yes, Mr. Schue? Yes, they are here with us. No, we are quite all right. Of course, I will let them know. Yes, sir. I promise one of us will have the phone at all times.”

Chris rolled his eyes as he listened to the one-sided conversation. When Buck raised an eyebrow in question, the blond leader shrugged in irritation.

“Fine time to start checking on kids he’s responsible for. She’s what? Fifteen? I don’t think any of them are much older. In an unfamiliar airport, surrounded by untold numbers of strange people? He waits over an hour before calling to check on them? What was he going to do if she didn’t answer or hadn’t seen her friends? It wouldn’t take much more for these crowds to snap and start panicking. A disappearing kid would do that.”

Josiah nodded.

“The people here are tired and cranky. Worse, they’re trapped and uncomfortable. They want to get out, go home, or on their vacation. Even more dangerous yet, they’re bored,” the profiler warned. “That means they’ll latch onto anything right now, exciting, dangerous – it doesn’t matter. One wrong word or action and we’d have a mob, a panic, or a stampede depending on the situation.”

Before anyone could answer, a man walked in through the door and stopped in surprise. Dressed in an airport maintenance uniform, he carried a backpack and a small toolbox. Something about him drew the eyes of everyone present – something was off.

Puck’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Rachel, come on back. Let’s get out of the guy’s way.”

Ezra had opened his eyes as silence fell and looked around. His gaze focused on the newcomer. Frowning, he sat up slightly, titling his head in consideration. It was obvious the man had not expected to find them there, and his face had a strange mix of anger and concern painted across it. However, a different issue held Ezra’s attention. He leaned towards Chris. The blond leader tilted his head towards his undercover agent.

“Why the backpack _and_ a toolbox?” the Southerner asked, his voice soft, barely a breath of a whisper.

A chill ran down Chris’ back and his lips folded in concern. As he centered his gaze on the stranger, he could sense Vin moving around on the floor. In an attempt to distract the man from what Vin was doing, he rose to his feet and took a step forward.

“Need something?” he asked, an icy chill lacing his voice.

The man gave a small smile, but his eyes brightened with a touch of madness. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris saw Puck stand up slowly and begin reaching out even as Santana pushed the other three behind her. Before Puck’s hand could make contact with Rachel, the newcomer dropped his bag and toolbox. He pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at the girl.

The room froze.

The stranger laughed. “You will listen to me! All of you!”

“Yes, of course,” said Josiah, coming up beside Chris and stepping out in front. He spread his hands out in a gesture of peace. His calm, deep voice filled the room with its resonance. “Let’s all calm down for a moment. There’s no reason to hurt anybody. I’m willing to listen to you.”

The man gave him a superior smirk.

“You talk very well, but you are concerned with the girl. You are not interested in me.”

“Yes, I am concerned about the girl. I don’t want to see her get hurt. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in you. Please tell me your story.”

The man’s eyes grew even brighter and he shifted to look more closely at Josiah. His hand lowered slightly, and Rachel took a step backwards. She froze when the man’s eyes snapped back at her. He stared at her through narrowed eyes for a long moment before waving her off. She backed up slowly, watching him, waiting to see if he would point the gun at her again. Finally she got within Puck’s reach and he pulled her back, tucking her in behind him.

“You think you are so clever,” the man snarled turning towards Josiah. “You will talk and talk until someone comes or one of you shoots me. Do you think I do not know who you are? I have lived in Denver for many months now. You, the ‘Magnificent Seven’, I have seen you in the papers. So, you may have me? So what? My duty is finished.”

The men exchanged sidelong glances while the teens just watched in confusion. A clap of thunder shook the walls and the armed man gave everyone a big, scary smile. The entire room froze at his next words.  
“Fire was going to rain from the sky. Four planes, four bombs; the storm stopped everything. Allah is merciful. This is better. All these people; all these _kaffirs_ running around and they are trapped here like mice. No one can go out into the storm, and the cleansing fires will take them all!”

As the man, now revealed as a terrorist not just some local that had snapped, looked around the room, taking in the horrified faces of the teenagers, Chris glanced at JD. “Find them,” he said softly, too softly for the terrorist to hear him.

JD gave a tiny nod and slipped back, half hidden by Josiah’s bulk to reach his laptop. Glancing up to make sure the terrorist was paying no attention, he sat on the floor and began typing furiously, but quietly on his computer. As he worked frantically to hack into airport security, he tried to ignore the ravings the man had begun to indulge in.

Chris waited as Ezra and Josiah continued to keep the man’s attention, talking to him and taking his abuse in stride. They had to buy time for Vin to get in position. In addition, they were trying to keep him distracted so he did not pay attention to either JD’s hurried work on the computer or Buck and Nathan trying to slide closer to the teens. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris watched as Puck eased backwards, forcing his friends to do the same. He had to admire the kid – he was keeping a level head during all of this.

Vin spoke softly, “Chris, I can’t get a shot.”

Chris scowled, his eyes scanning the room for something, _anything_ he could use to improve this situation before it all went to hell.

Suddenly, the terrorist threw back his head and gave a blood-curdling scream.

 _“Allahu Akbar!”_

Even as the agents began to move, he raised the gun. He fired three wild shots around the room causing everyone to duck before he turned the gun on himself. With his final shot, he took his secrets into the final darkness of death.

“Damn!” Chris fumed, climbing back to his feet. “JD, find those bombs!”

“I’m working on it!” exclaimed the young agent, his finger flying even more furiously over the keyboard.

A shrill, terrified scream rang out.

“Oh my God! Rachel!”

  
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Nathan was moving before the final note died away. Grabbing his kit, he sprinted over to the teens. Rachel lay on her back, panting as the pain radiated through her. She had been hit by one of the wild shots. Puck knelt beside her, clinging to her hand. She had focused her dark eyes on his face, trying to stave off her panic. As Nathan came up to her other side, she shifted her eyes to him. He smiled at her.

“You hang on there, Rachel. We’re going to get you fixed up.”

She tried to smile at him; his deep, calm voice helping calm her slightly. Her mouth would not cooperate; it was too busy trying to keep from crying. A few tears leaked out of her eyes as she blinked rapidly.

“Rachel?”

Her eyes moved back to Puck as the fear in his voice penetrated her mind. She did not like it when Puck was afraid. Her eyes connected with his. He gave her a half-smile.

“There you are.”

She could almost smile at him, but then she noticed his other arm looked wrong. There was blood on his sleeve.

“Oh,” she breathed, forcing her own pain down. “You’re hurt!”

“Just a scratch, baby. Nothing big,” he said, keeping his focus on her.

Nathan shot a look to Josiah, and the profiler gathered up two of the teenagers.

“I need you two to come with me. We’re going to find Nathan some extra supplies to make Rachel comfortable.”

Both of them turned to Puck. He gave them a quick nod.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” the agent said.

Chris nodded. “Good. Let’s keep the noise down though. Time to prevent that panic.”

As the three left the room, the blond leader turned to his men.

“Buck, Ezra, find something to cover the body and then go get airport security. With those shots muffled by his silencer, I doubt anyone heard anything. Make sure you’ve both got communicators. When JD locates the bombs, we’ll let you know.”

“Got somethin’ for me, Cowboy?” Vin asked as he stepped up to Chris’ side.

“Not yet,” replied his boss. “Stay close though. You and Nate are going to have to hold the room and run interference when we’ve got JD’s info.”

The sniper nodded and moved towards the two girls clinging to one another as they watched Nathan work on their friend. He guided them into a couple of the seats and knelt in front of them. Meeting their scared eyes, he gave them a reassuring smile.

“It’s goin’ to be okay. Nate’s the best medic in town. Now, I’ve met Brittany, but who are you?”

“T-T-Tina,” stammered the last of the girls, her hand latched tightly in Brittany’s.

His blue eyes soft with compassion, Vin continued talking in a low voice. “Hey, Tina, I’m Vin. What brought you to Denver?”

“It’s a layover,” answered Tina, her dark eyes never leaving Rachel’s prone form.

“Yeah,” Brittany said. “We went to California for a music exhibition. We’re on the way home.”

“Where’s home?” he asked, glancing towards Chris.

“Lima…Lima, Ohio,” the blonde girl replied. “We’re in Glee club.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“It is…a lot more fun than Cheerios practice,” said Brittany, not noticing the confusion that slid across his face. Putting that aside, he turned to Tina. “Tina, who were the kids that left with my teammate?”

“Mike and Santana,” she answered, dark eyes meeting his for a moment before they shifted back to her injured friend.

As Vin continued to soothe the two girls, Chris stepped up by Nate and crouched down. “How are we doing?”

Nate glanced up. “Puck’s scratch is getting her worked up.”

The blond agent shifted and met Rachel’s gaze. He gave her a small smile.

“Hey, Rachel,” he said. “You lie still and relax. Nate’s going to take care of you.”

Her voice came out in a breathy whisper. “Puck?”

Chris nodded. “I’ll take care of him.”

Shifting around, he grabbed some bandages and antiseptic wipes from Nate’s kit. Taking a firm hold of Puck’s elbow, he turned him sideways.

“Hey, man,” the teen complained, never turning his head from the brunette on the ground beside him.

“The blood’s upsetting her.” Chris stated plainly. Puck stopped resisting. As he carefully cleaned the wound, Chris watched as Puck suppressed any sign of pain. The boy’s voice never faltered as he continued talking to Rachel. The girl’s deep brown eyes remained focused on Puck as he talked, letting her ignore everything Nate was doing. Chris had to admire the boy’s ability to handle a crisis. He turned to exchange a look with Vin. Vin gave him a nod before turning back to the two girls.

“Tina? Brittany?” he asked, keeping his voice at a soothing level. The two very different teenagers focused on him, pulling their eyes away from their injured friend. He gave them an encouraging smile. “Who’s supposed to be keeping an eye on you?”

Brittany tilted her head. “Well, usually it’s Puck, Rae, or Santana, but they’re busy right now.”

Vin blinked. “Well, what I meant…”

“Will Schuster, our Glee teacher, and Emma Pillsbury, our guidance counselor,” Tina interrupted. She patted Brittany’s arm as she explained things to the blonde. “He wants to know who the adults are.”

“Oh, then why didn’t he ask that?” she asked. Tina paused for a moment and then shrugged.

“He doesn’t know Glee-speak.”

“Okay, that makes sense.”

Tina smiled slightly at Vin as the agent’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Glee-speak is kind of how things are talked about in the group. It doesn’t always make sense to outsiders. Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury are the adults, but they’re really not the ones who watch out for us, you know?”

“And the others, Santana, Rachel, and Puck do?” Vin asked curiously.

“Well, yeah,” answered Brittany. “People are mean at our school, and the teachers don’t do much, so somebody has to.”

“Got them!”

JD’s excited exclamation drew Chris and Vin to his side. He had placed the laptop on a seat and sat cross-legged on the floor. His two teammates knelt down beside him.

“Where?” Chris demanded.

The young technology expert pointed to various sections of his map. “One’s in the near this American Airline check-in counter; another is here in the personnel lounge.” He clicked the map to make it move. “There’s a third one in the United Airlines cargo area, and the last one is in the control tower.”

“Damn!” Vin gave a low whistle. “This guy wasn’t playin’ around. The four bombs would be bad enough, but you take out that control tower…” He trailed off.

Chris looked grim. “Take out the control tower and we’ll have planes down as well.”

The three agents stared at the map in silence. While his younger teammates focused on the disaster that could happen, Chris considered the best way to spread his men out to solve the problem.

“Chris!”

The call drew everyone’s attention to the door. Buck and Ezra had returned with airport security. As they joined the three men around the computer, Josiah, Santana and Mike returned with two paramedics. Josiah and Mike wheeled in two portable hospital screens. As Santana rushed over to Tina and Brittany, the paramedics hauled additional supplies over to Nathan to assist with Rachel. Josiah and Mike set their screens up around the body of the terrorist. The agent put a hand on the teenager’s shoulder.

“Thank you, son,” he said in an encouraging voice. “You go help with your girls now.”

Mike gave him a half-smile and moved to join the three girls as they watched the people grouped around Rachel. Josiah joined his teammates and airport security.

“Josiah?” Chris asked. The powerful profiler glanced back before turning shadowed eyes to his boss.

“With so many people stuck, the medics have been extra busy. These two had just gone off duty but since they had to wait out the weather, they stayed near the office in case of an emergency.”

The blond nodded. “And the kids?”

“The kids are…holding on. They know Rachel needs them calm, so they’re suppressing everything right now, at least mine are.”

Vin nodded. “Tina and Brittany too. They’re completely focused on Rachel.”

Chris shifted his gaze to the kids. Puck had not moved from his spot, holding her hand and talking softly. Brittany leaned her head on Tina’s right shoulder while her left hand held tightly to Santana’s hand. Mike had dropped down to sit at their feet, his knees pulled up and his arms wrapped around his shins. One of Tina’s hands grasped his shoulder while her other arm wrapped around Brittany’s shoulder. Santana sat sideways, her legs pressed against Mike’s side. Her right hand held Brittany’s while her left arm stretched behind the blonde to rest on Tina’s shoulder. All of them stared at Rachel as if willing strength into their friend.

Chris scowled as he turned back. “They’re too young for this shit.”

“Victims usually are, Mr. Larabee,” answered Ezra, somber green eyes glancing towards the teens.

With a growl, Chris glanced at airport security. One of them stepped forward. “We’ve been ordered to cooperate. We’re stretched thin with overcrowding right now and our people have been on duty for too long. You’re the available experts; we’d be stupid not to listen.”

Chris signed, “Thanks; that’ll make it easier. There are four bombs: check-in, cargo, personnel, and control tower. These bombs were originally meant for planes, not the airport itself. We don’t know what the triggers are and we don’t know if they’re on a timer. We need to get them taken down as soon as possible. Security, I’m going to assign my men to each of the bombs. I need you to go along to smooth the way and help keep panic down. We don’t want this place to turn into a madhouse.”

“No shit,” muttered one of them before snapping his mouth shut at his boss’s glare. The leader of the security force nodded at Chris. “No problem, sir.”

Chris nodded back, appreciating the man’s lack of posturing. “Good. Ezra, I want you to handle the one at the check-in counter. You’ll be more reassuring to the civilians than the rest of us. Play it down and stay in touch.”

“Assuredly, Mr. Larabee.” Ezra headed out the door. Five security guards followed him.

“Buck, I want you to go down to the personnel lounge. Try to wait until you’ve finished with the bomb before you start collecting numbers from the flight attendants.”

“Hey, Old Dog, it’s me!” Buck gave a grin before gathering his flock of guards.

Chris raised a brow. “Yeah, that’s what worries me. Stay in touch.”

The mustached man smirked and strode through the door.

Shaking his head, Chris turned back to his remaining agents. “Josiah, I want you in the cargo area. JD’s only spotted one, but have the workers fine tooth comb it. Let’s make sure we don’t have any extra surprises around.”

Josiah nodded as he accepted a communicator from JD. “Of course, brother.” With that, he gathered his security escort and walked out.

“Vin, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on things. I need JD focused on security and Nate’ll be busy for a while. Watch the kids and help security keep the curious out.”

“You got it, Cowboy.”

“JD, I’ll take the one in the control tower. Keep the lines open and let me know there are any other problems.”

JD looked up. “We’ve got a problem.”

  
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Chris sighed. “Of course we do.”

“We’re out of communicators. You’ll have to use a cell phone.” JD explained.

“How the hell am I supposed to do that? I need both hands for the bomb!”

Vin narrowed his eyes. “Maybe use one of your security group as a go-between?”

“Rachel!” Puck’s anguished cry rang out. Their heads snapped around to see Nate and the paramedics working more frantically than earlier. Nate’s eyes swung up to catch Chris’s. He tilted his head towards the distressed teen before looking back to his patient. Chris strode across the room to crouch down by his teammate. Rachel had fallen unconscious.

“Chris, get him out of here. We’re managing, but without her to focus on…” Nate trailed off. Chris understood; without Rachel needing him to be strong, Puck might allow his panic to break through, and they did not have time right now.

“Puck?” Distressed hazel eyes turned a pleading look on the blond agent. Taking a deep breath, Chris placed a hand on the boy’s arm. “I need your help.”

Puck stared at him for a long moment. He looked down at the unconscious Rachel before lifting his gaze to his four other friends. Brittany had buried her face into the crook of Tina’s neck, not wanting to see anymore, while the sheen of tears filled the smaller girl’s eyes. Mike looked at him, shaking but ready to help if he could. Santana gave him a fierce and determined stare. She lifted her chin and pulled away from the others. Walking over to his side, she dropped to her knees beside him.

“Go on you idiot. Help fix whatever shit that jackass did. I got this.” For just a moment tears glazed across her dark eyes before she blinked them away and glared. “Mike can help me look after the girls.”

Puck nodded and leaned his forehead against her shoulder for a breath. He reached out and brushed his fingertips across Rachel’s cheek. Standing, he turned to Chris.

“What do you need?”

Chris reached out and grasped Puck’s shoulder firmly, trying to express both his sorrow and pride in one movement. The teen blinked, forcing back tears. Chris nodded.

“Alright, JD, I’ll be in contact by phone. Puck will be the middle man. Anything changes, you let me know.”

“You got it.”

Chris stalked out of the room with Puck and the security guards just behind him. Vin turned towards JD. “Come on; let’s move everything closer to the others.”

After setting up, JD began his communications check. “All teams check in and I’ll direct you to the exact location of your bomb.”

“Gambler’s flush; currently entering the AA check-in area from the left.”

“Okay, Ezra, you need to go to the third check-in counter from your location. Scan shows the bomb under the computer terminal.”  
“Copy.” Ezra’s soft southern drawl came across the line at a whisper. He walked over to the indicated counter. With an apologetic smile, he looked at the young lady working the counter. “Miss, if you will excuse me, I shall need you to step back from the counter. One of these gentlemen can help explain the situation.”

Closing the counter, he knelt down and started working removing the door of the cabinet below the computer. While working, he kept half an ear on the conversations taking place over his communicator.

Buck answered moments after JD finished talking to their undercover agent. “Romeo is fine and currently surrounded by a bevy of beauties.”

JD rolled his eyes. “Right. Anyway, you need to take a look at the electric box in the back corner of the room. Looks like he wired that one into the system.”

“So start the panic with a boom and double it with the loss of lights. This guy was a real peach.” Buck’s icy opinion of the terrorist coated his voice in disdain. He turned a charming smile on the others in the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, in the interest of safety, would you please follow the nice guards to a different rest area? Thank you.”

As the security guards led them out, he moved to the electric box and listened to Josiah report in.

“Preacher’s good and entering the UA cargo area from the right.”

“Josiah, the cargo area has got some strange readings, but the only confirmed explosive material is halfway across room. You may need a ladder; it looks like it’s on one of the columns.”

Josiah gave an exasperated huff. “Naturally.” He turned to face the guards. “Would one of you gentleman please fetch me a ladder? I also need to speak with the current manager on duty.”

Walking up to the column, he started circling, looking for something out of place. A small but powerfully built man strode up to him.

“You needed to talk with me?”

“Yes,” answered the agent. “We’ve confirmed the presence of at least one bomb. I’ll be taking care of that one. I need you to get your crew to do a much more thorough search. Let’s make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

The cargo manager’s eyes narrowed as he took in Josiah’s words. With a sharp nod, he walked away and called to his crew. The ATF agent watched as the search crews split up to search the room. Offering up a prayer for them as well as his brother agents, he pulled his mind back to business as three other men ran up with a ladder.

Josiah sighed. “The Lord’s work is never done.” He heard a couple of muttered “Amen’s” through his communicator.

JD picked up his cell phone and dialed Chris. When Puck answered, JD started talking. “Puck, I don’t know if Chris explained anything, but we need you to be a mouthpiece. Chris is going to have his hands full, but the reports need to be accurate going in both directions. Okay?”

“No problem,” came the serious reply.

“Great. Then let’s get started. Three wingmen have reported in; currently in place and beginning extraction.”

Puck repeated the message and Chris nodded.

“Gunslinger entering control tower from main door,” stated Chris. A handful of people glanced in his direction, but most of them were too busy keeping their sky space safe and organized.

Puck looked at him. “JD says the device is centrally located. It should be under the workspace smack dab in the middle of the room.”

Looking around, Chris determined the most likely place and moved forward. Stepping up to one of the controllers, he gestured at the man’s supervisor. When the woman reached him, he showed her his badge.

“I need this man to hand off all of his flights and step away from the desk. Scan’s showing a suspicious object.”

The woman nodded and gave the orders. As the controller rose and moved away, Chris dropped down on the floor to search under the desk. Puck sat down beside him, phone still carefully held to his ear. He could hear some scrapes and whispers of sound.

“Damn.” The quiet word told him that Chris had found the bomb. The blond leader spoke more clearly. “Puck, give JD the confirmation. We’ve got it.”

JD accepted Puck’s confirmation and turned towards Vin. “That’s all of them. Now we just need them shut down.”

Vin nodded. Glancing towards the knot of activity, he sighed and gave his teammate a sorrowful look. “These kids aren’t ever goin’ to be the same.”

JD nodded sadly. Both men turned towards the teenagers as they heard Santana start talking.

  
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“You better be listening to me, midget.” The girl had lain down on the floor, stretching out away from the medics in an attempt to stay close while giving them as much room as she could. Propping herself up on her elbows, she focused on Rachel’s face and tried to ignore the blood on her chest. “You hang on, hear me chica? Don’t you let this guy win. I will drag you back just to kick your ass. You’re not allowed to go on my watch. I told Puck I’d handle this shit, and I will. I’m going to keep talking and you’re going to keep breathing so these guys can keep working. Puck’s helping their boss. How’s that for irony, huh? Biggest badass of Lima and he’s helping the feds. Cops back home would never believe it. Troublemaking Puckerman? Never happen. God I hate those pricks.” She paused and her eyes narrowed as she glared at the unresponsive girl. Huffing, she continued. “See, this is annoying! I’ve been hanging around you so long I even stop to let you get your word in. This is where you’re supposed to speak up and call me on my language or disrespect or something! This silence shit is not normal. Damn it, why the hell did I let you in? What’s that riff?”

A watery giggle came from the side. She glanced around to see Tina blinking back tears and a shaky smile on her face. “She’s going to be so pissed. She’s missing the most dramatic part of the story.”

Santana sniffed. “Girl’s got a serious thing for the spotlight.”

“Yeah,” agreed Mike. “And she’s dragging us with her. Who would’ve thought, huh?”

Brittany sniffled, but remained silent. Santana took a deep breath and looked back at Rachel. “Okay, you get this right? We’ve got work to do this year. If you’re going to drag us all out of Lima, we’ve got to get to Nationals first. And we need you up and running to do that. We sure can’t leave it up to Schue. Man’s pretty cool all things considered, but he’s way too attached to that classic rock shit. It’s got some good stuff, but he’s in a rut. Like nothing goods been made in the past twenty years? Please.”

As Santana continued to ramble, Vin carefully looked over the teenagers.

 _Josiah’s right. Rachel’s the alpha female. Sounds like a new pack, but already gellin’ pretty good. Sometimes it doesn’t take long. If they lose her, they’re going to break. Santana’s holdin’ on, but just because she’s got the others to care for. Brittany’s breakin’ already and Tina’s not far behind her. Mike’s a good guy, but he’s still a bit of a kid._

Vin crouched down by JD. “Keep an ear on the others. I’m goin’ to go help the kids.”

JD nodded and the sniper quietly walked over to the three seated teens. Tapping Mike on his shoulder, Vin gestured for him to have a seat by Tina. Even as the boy moved, Vin took the chair next to Brittany and brushed her blonde hair away from her face. Teary blue eyes gazed up at him before the girl let go of her friend to burrow into his side, sobbing softly. Wrapping his arms around the shaking girl, he began to rock slightly, rubbing one hand up and down her back. He did not bother trying to comfort her with words; it never worked for him. He simply let her cling and cry.

Tina had buried her head in Mike’s shoulder as soon as Brittany had moved. Vin nodded at the kid in approval as he copied the agent’s actions. Vin’s eyes shifted down to Santana. The girl gave him a small but grateful smile. She continued talking to Rachel, completely ignoring the tears that had begun to trickle down her cheeks. Vin took a deep breath and rested his chin on the top of Brittany’s head.

 _Damn. I hate it when kids are involved._

Movement caught the corner of his eye. Glancing over, he watched as JD rose to his feet and picked up his laptop. The younger agent began walking towards them, stopping momentarily to talk to the security guards watching the door and the body. Then he continued towards the group. One of the guards stepped over to a closet and pulled out a folding chair. He brought the chair over to JD and set it up near Rachel. JD nodded and put his laptop down on its new surface. He shifted it around so that he could sit next to Santana but still be out of the way. Vin watched as their youngest member reached out and touched the girl’s shoulder. She blinked back tears and gave him a thankful look.

JD kept his hand on Santana’s shoulder, but turned his head back towards the laptop screen. Tapping a couple of keys, he gave a half nod. “Okay, Buck, copy that. If they can handle the final dismantling and evidence lock-up, we could use you back here.” He paused. “See you in a few.”

As his left hand flew across the keyboard, Mike gave a low, watery whistle. “You’re faster than I am with two hands.”

JD flashed him a tiny grin. “Ambidextrous. It comes in handy.” After a few more keystrokes, he keyed his communicator once more. “Puck, let Chris know that Romeo is clear and returning to the den.” After a long silence, he asked, “Who does he want making those calls? ... Understood.”

A few minutes later, Buck entered the room just as JD’s communicator signaled. “Ezra? Got it. Airport security willing to takeover now? … Good, Chris has a task for you.”

Buck crouched down next to Nate. “Hey, Doc, how’s it going?”

Nate glanced up at him as all four teens focused on him. “She’s holding…even better, she’s fighting.”

Santana gave a smirk. “That’s my girl. You keep fighting, Rae, you hear me?”

“She hears you,” Buck told her. “Our team’s been through this enough to know; she hears you. She’ll fight all the harder because she knows you’re waiting for her.”

“Good,” stated the teen. “She damn well better, or so help me I will kick her Broadway-loving ass.”

Nathan broke into the conversation. “Buck, I need you to call the hospital. Let them know we’ll bring her in as soon as we have a chance of making it in one piece.”

Buck nodded and rose as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a familiar number. “This is Buck Wilmington of Team Seven. Hey, Annie…no, it’s not one of us this time, I promise….Yeah, I know…Look, we’re at the airport with a gunshot victim. Nate and the paramedics are holding her steady. ..Soon as the weather breaks…that’s the plan…Right…victim is a teenage female, Caucasian. Looks to be sixteen or so…no, don’t know the blood type…”

Brittany lifted her head from Vin’s shoulder and focused on the mustached agent. “A positive. Rachel’s an A positive.”

“Are you sure, Britt?” Santana asked.

The blonde nodded. “She and I talked about it one time, and she was really excited because we had the same type. I just wanted to know if that meant we were sisters.”

Buck gave her a supportive smile. “Annie? She’s an A positive…That’s okay, one of her friends has the same type…Let me check.“ Buck moved over and crouched down in front of Brittany. “Hey, sweetheart, the hospital wants to know if you’d be willing to share some of your blood with Rachel.”

Brittany frowned for a minute and then asked, “Will it help?”

“Yeah,” replied Buck. “It’ll help a lot.”

“Then they can have all of it,” she replied, nodding her head and holding out her hand. Buck enfolded her hand gently in his.

“Don’t worry, darling. They don’t need all of it.” He smiled up at her before talking into his phone once more. “She’s willing to donate…Alright, I’ll let Nate and the others know…See you in a bit.” He looked over his shoulder at Nate as he hung up the phone. “Brittany will need to come in the same ambulance with Rachel. They’re low on A positive blood and everything’s running late due to the storm.”

Nate nodded. At that moment, Ezra returned. Striding over to the group, he lifted a brow in question.

“Holdin’ steady,” Vin replied. The agent nodded and walked over to JD.

“I believe you needed my presence, Mr. Dunne?” he inquired.

“Just a sec,” answered JD as he listened to something from the others still in the field. “Copy that Josiah. Come back as soon as you can.” He tapped a couple of keys. “Puck, Gambler and Preacher are clear and returning to the den.”

“Three down, one to go,” murmured Tina. Mike tightened his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

JD turned to his fellow agent. “Ezra, we need to get the kid’s information and make some phone calls. Chris figures it’ll be a couple of weeks before the doctors want Rachel flying home.”

Nate broke in. “She’ll be a few days at the hospital, but then they’ll want her resting as much as possible for at least two weeks. She’ll have to return to her regular activities slowly.”

“Great,” muttered Santana, staring at the girl in question. “How the hell are we supposed to do that? Sit on her?”

Nate gave her a conspiratorial grin. “Yes, if necessary, you sit on her.”

“Anyway,” continued JD, “Chris figures it’ll be easier on her if some of her friends are here. He said you’d be best in dealing with the parents. He wants us to find out how many can stay if we take care of room and board for them.”

From her spot next to JD, Santana reached up and tapped on Ezra’s shin. He looked down at her before kneeling beside her. “Yes, my dear?”

“You got a pen and some paper?” she asked. When he pulled a notepad out of his pocket, she gave him a smile. “Santana Lopez; 419-867-5309; my mother’s name is Rosa. Oh, and you’ll need Puck’s info too. Noah Puckerman; 419-634-5789; his mother’s name is Mara.”

He nodded. “And what about Rachel?”

“Rachel Berry; 419-489-4608; she’s got two dads, Alan and Leroy.”

He took down the information and patted her shoulder. Moving to the others, he jotted down a few more notes before moving across the room to begin making phone calls. As he passed the doorway, Josiah walked in. Ezra nodded at him but gestured towards the group. The profiler nodded back and continued over to the others.

“Damn.”

  
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JD’s quiet voice drew everyone’s attention. Giving Santana’s shoulder a final pat, he pulled his communicator out of his ear and passed it to Buck. Then he turned and began typing rapidly on his laptop. Nobody spoke, nobody moved; they simply sat and watched the young computer expert as his fingers danced over the keyboard. The silence grew oppressive as the minutes clicked by. Buck nearly jumped as the communicator signaled.

Stepping away from the group, he activated it. “This is Buck.”

In the control tower, Puck frowned. “Ah, Buck?”

Chris turned to him with a frown. “What the hell is Buck doing on the line? Where’s JD?” Before Puck could try asking, the supervisor came up beside the blond agent. “Puck, find out what’s going on. I’ll finish with the instructions and we’ll head back.”

“Yes, sir,” the teen replied. “Buck? Chris wants to know what happened to JD.”

“Beats the hell out of me. He’s typing away at his computer like a madman…hasn’t spoken in fifteen minutes. Tell the boss man he might want to head back soon.”

Puck looked over at the agent. “Hey, boss? Buck says we might want to head back. JD’s doing a number on his computer and isn’t talking.”

“How long has he been quiet?” Chris asked, distracted by the supervisor.

“Fifteen minutes.”

Chris’s head snapped around and pinned the boy with a look. “ _Fifteen?_ Shit.” He turned a glare on the supervisor as she tried to ask a question. “The bomb’s deactivated and your security people are well aware of the process for logging evidence. You want to know more? Check out the report when it’s written. I’ve got another issue to go check on.”

Striding away from her, he gathered up Puck and headed out of the tower. As Puck hurried along behind him, he spoke into the phone. “We’re on our way back. Boss is pissed.”

Buck snorted. “Boss is regularly pissed. Nothing new there.”

“How’s Rachel?” Puck asks, voice shaking.

“She’s hanging in there, kid. Nate says she’s fighting for it,” Buck answered, his strong voice falling into a soothing rhythm. “He’s not going to let her go, and neither is your friend Santana. She’s keeping her company until you get back, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Puck answered.

As they entered the elevator, Chris took the phone. “What’s going on, Big Dog?”

Puck leaned against the wall of the elevator, ignoring everything else as he focused on getting back to the others.

 _Just get me back to Rachel. Please God, she’s gotta be okay!_

Back at the scene, JD continued typing furiously on his computer. No one knew exactly what was going on, but they knew it had to be potentially desperate. Across the room, Ezra continued talking to parents and making arrangements for their children to remain in Denver for a while longer. He had noticed the spreading silence with concern, but his training had allowed him to remain collected while speaking with strangers on the other side of the country.

Before any other calls, he had notified the Lima police department about the situation. The captain had agreed to go speak with the Berry’s personally. Ezra appreciated the courtesy. They should not find out by way of a phone call from a stranger in the ATF. All of the other parents had agreed to allow their kids to stay on the condition that they called personally to confirm everything. He would arrange that after the current crisis ended.

“Oh, thank God!” JD slumped over his keyboard, heaving a sigh of relief. Burying his face in his hands, he took several deep breaths as he tried to slow his racing heartbeat.

Buck crouched beside him. “Kid?”

“Give me a minute.” After another long moment of silence, the young agent sat up and glanced around. Focusing on one of the security guards, he motioned him over. Buck moved out of the way, but stayed close. JD pointed to his screen. “You’ll need to take a team here. The device has been disarmed, but it will need to be dismantled.”

“Yes, sir.” The guard signaled to a group of men and they hurried out of the room. Chris and Puck passed them as they entered. Chris strode over to JD while Puck helped Santana off the floor and took her place.

JD looked around at the others before focusing on his boss. “There was a fifth device. Looks like our guy there planned his own exit. The sensors didn’t catch it because it wasn’t ‘live’…someone had to turn it on. Maybe with a phone call or something.”

“It’s been disarmed?” Chris demanded.

“Yeah,” answered JD. “But he had a partner.”

Chris sighed. “Don’t they always. Gather your stuff together and we’ll pass it on to Homeland Security. That part’s out of our hands.” He gazed around at the others in the room.

A radio squawked. As the paramedic answered, Ezra rejoined the group. The medic looked at Nathan and then glanced up at Chris. “The storm’s breaking. An ambulance was dispatched ten minutes ago or so. It shouldn’t take them too long to get here.”

Chris nodded. “Josiah, Buck, JD; you three stay here to finish the mop up. Find the kids’ group and let them know what’s going on. Ezra?”

“I managed to contact their parents. They shall all be permitted to remain in Denver provided they call and speak with their parents personally.”

“Good,” Chris answered. He turned to look at the teens. “Why don’t you all get started on that while we’re waiting for the ambulance? Santana, if you’ll fill Josiah in on the rest of your group before you call your folks?”

Santana nodded and walked over towards the older agent. Tina accepted the phone from Ezra and started dialing her parents while Mike used Vin’s. Brittany refused to move out of Vin’s lap and Puck stayed down by Rachel quietly murmuring.

Buck spoke up. “Chris, Brittany’s a blood-type match for Rachel. We’ll need her in the ambulance as well.”

“Okay,” Chris replied. “Brittany can ride up front with the driver while Puck’s in the back with Rachel. Vin, Ezra, Nathan and I will follow with the rest of the kids.” He turned to his undercover agent. “Ezra, I want you to get in touch with the hospital. Have them contact the parents and get authorization forms signed.”

“Already started,” Ezra reassured him. “My first and last calls went to the Lima PD. On that final call, I requested their assistance on acquiring said forms. When all of the forms are in their possession, they intend to call me and let me know. We should have the forms in hand by the time we reach the hospital.”

Chris gave him a nod and a small smile. “Good. That’ll make things easier. What about Rachel’s parents?”

Ezra raised an eyebrow. “Apparently her fathers are currently away on the first week of a three-week cruise. Ms. Mara Puckerman currently holds her emergency parental consent form. Ms. Puckerman has agreed to send over an authorization for Rachel as well. The Lima police have assured me that they will continue trying to reach one of her fathers in the meantime.”

A dark scowl flashed across Chris’s face before he could suppress it. He hated seeing adults treat their children so lightly. Children should be cherished and protected, not left to fend for themselves for weeks at a time.

A sudden flurry of activity came hustling through the door. The Lima teenagers watched in fascination as things started happening at an exceedingly fast pace. An ambulance crew hauled a stretcher over to the prone figure while members of Homeland Security followed them. As the crew began prepping Rachel for transport, the new agents stopped to hash out the situation with the ATF men. The next several minutes passed by in a blur as the ATF handed over control of the crime scene. Brittany and Puck followed the stretcher as the medics rushed towards the exit. Nate rushed alongside, explaining why the two students would be accompanying them. Chris finished speaking with Homeland Security and then gathered up the rest of his team and the teens.

  
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A handful of days after being admitted to the hospital, Rachel Berry had had quite enough. She appreciated all of the help and hard work the hospital personnel had done for her, but she had seen these same four walls for too long. Granted, she did not feel ready to do much, but she desperately needed a change of scenery.

 _White walls, a tiny window that looks at another wing of the hospital, daytime television…I am going to go mental._

It had not been all bad. She had a constant stream of company in her room. She did not know who had pulled what strings, but Puck had been allowed to stay with her. Everyone else took shifts so that neither of them was ever alone. She had enjoyed getting to know all seven of the ATF agents. At least one of them stayed in the hospital room at all times. One day when Puck had been forcibly taken home by Chris in order to take a shower and change clothes, she had tried to let them know it was not necessary for them to stay as well. Ezra had given her a small smile.

 _Flashback_

 _”My dear Miss Berry, surely by now someone has informed you of your friends’ actions during the recent crisis? Mr. Puckerman performed quite admirably, and even managed to impress Mr. Larabee. Or perhaps about Miss Lopez and her exemplary behavior? Indeed, every one of your friends reacted better than many of the adults we have dealt with in the past.”_

 _Rachel nodded. “I understand, but I am not sure what that has to do with you staying at my bedside. Surely you do not do the same for everyone you come across while working?”_

 _“No, you are quite correct,” agreed the agent. “However, this **is** something we do whenever one of our own has been injured.”_

 _“Oh, but we’re not…” Rachel began. Ezra reached out and touched her chin._

 _“Yes, my dear, you certainly are.”_

 _End Flashback_

While the ATF agents had been wonderful to her, she had heard that they gave Mr. Schuster an earful. According to Santana, Chris had been less than impressed with his apparent lack of concern for some of his students. When she tried to explain, he shook his head.

 _”He only called you once the entire time. He shouldn’t have let you out of his sight at all, but a single phone call over that span of time? It’s not right.”_

Brittany and Tina also told her Buck had reacted badly to the other Glee clubbers’ dramatics. They complained about missing the action, or having to go home to Lima while the others got to stay in Denver. Tina said she overheard Buck tell JD he was glad they had not had to deal with the whole passel of them, especially the one or two that blamed Rachel for their loss.

 _As if it had been some great adventure! Like I asked to get shot!_

The door to her room opened. Chris and Puck walked in with an orderly right behind them.

“Hey, Babe, ready to go?”

She rolled her eyes. “You cannot even begin to imagine. I intend no offense to the individuals whose livelihood is earned within this structure, but I shall go completely insane if I am forced to reside within these walls one second beyond absolute necessity.”

Chris shook his head. “Good thing I’d already planned to take you to the ranch.” The two teens frowned in confusion, but he grinned. “The only other place for you would be Ezra’s. One five-dollar word user is enough for any home.”

Puck raised an eyebrow. “You think that was bad? Ask her about Broadway.”

“Noah!” Rachel exclaimed, smacking him on the arm. He just grinned and curled that same arm around her waist. Chris gave a small laugh and gestured at the orderly. As the orderly brought a wheelchair around, Rachel frowned.

“I do not believe that I am in need of….” She started.

“Hospital policy, miss,” the orderly interrupted with a smile. Rachel sighed but took a seat.

“This is just silly. I am perfectly capable of exiting the premises without having someone be required to…”

Puck rolled his eyes. “Quit with the crazy, Rach. We’re practically out the door. You can file a complaint later.”

“I have no intention of filing a complaint, Noah Puckerman!” Rachel exclaimed. “I simply feel it to be a complete waste of this man’s time. Surely there are more valuable and productive ways his time could be put to use. When a person is competent to maneuver without assistance, then it seems to be both counterproductive and illogical to have a second person involved in the process.”

“See what I deal with?” Puck turned to Chris as he gestured towards Rachel.

Chris lifted a brow. “Ezra’s worse.”

“Oh really,” sighed Rachel. “There is nothing criminal about having or using an excellent vocabulary.”

Puck chuckled as they reached Chris’s truck. “Didn’t say there was; you just like to throw it around.”

Rachel gave a disdainful sniff. “See if I help _you_ in English this year.”

“Come on, babe, you know you love me!” Puck leaned down and planted a kiss on her temple before helping her out of the chair and into the backseat.

She giggled. “Sometimes!”

His eyes narrowed playfully and he pointed a finger at her. “I’ll deal with you later…in private.”

“Promises, promises,” she murmured.

Chris laughed as he hauled himself into the driver’s seat. “Let’s get moving. We’ve got some anxious people waiting for us.”

On the drive out to the ranch, Rachel stared at the passing countryside, enthralled by the mountain landscape. She had never seen such beautiful natural scenery before. The tall peaks stretching into the clouds made her feel so tiny; not in a bad way, but it reminded her of the awesome wonders the world held.

Pulling her eyes away from the grandeur, she asked about the others.

Puck grinned back at her. “They’ve been spread out mostly. Mike’s hanging with Josiah while Tina’s staying with Nathan and his wife. Santana and Brittany are at Ezra’s.” He chuckled. “If we lived in Denver, I think Satan would move in.”

“Satan?” Chris frowned.

Rachel rolled her eyes as Puck began laughing. She shook her head. “Santana has a temper and can get very nasty if you get her mad at you. She is probably the most dangerous girl in all of McKinley High; so some of the boys call her Satan. It is not nice.” She glared at the back of Puck’s head. He just laughed even harder.

Getting himself under control, he glanced at her with a smirk. “Mike thinks we should introduce his mom to Josiah.”

“Michael wants to introduce his mother to _Josiah_?” Rachel asked with a frown. “He would never see her again. And I sincerely doubt Chris would approve.”

“Why’s that?” Chris asked.

This time Puck rolled his eyes. “Chang’s mom is the debater from hell, man. Give her a topic and she will find _something_ philosophical to turn it into. She can go for days.”

Rachel laughed. “Please tell me Tina’s not getting us into something?”

“Nope,” Puck answered. “Goth-girl and Britt are just hanging out. I think they’re liking the break from Lima. Who wouldn’t?”

Finally they turned off of the small highway and onto a blacktop road. The trees gave way to open pasture, and Rachel gasped as a herd of horses came in view. Chris glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

“Like horses, do you?”

She smiled, blushing. “I always have.”

He smiled at her. “Most people do. Those are some of ours.”

“Yours?” she asked.

“Yep,” he replied. “My team’s anyway. This is a working horse ranch. We only run a small herd right now. Mostly we help with training horses.”

“What about your ATF work?” Puck asked.

“That’s my main job. This is what I’ll retire and do.” Chris nodded at the horses as they drove past. “The whole team’s got a stake here.”

They pulled up to the house. As Puck helped Rachel out of the truck, people poured out of the house. Chris stepped in front of them, shielding them until the crowd stopped.

Nathan stepped forward to stand next to Chris. “I know you’re excited, but Rachel still has to take it easy. No jumping on her and gentle hugs. Then she’s going inside to rest.”

“Nathan,” whined Rachel. “I have been doing nothing, but resting.”

He gave her a stern look and JD laughed. “Give it up Rachel! He’s got his ‘Mother Hen’ face on.”

“’Mother Hen’?” Nathan turned his frown on JD.

The younger agent gave him a grin. “Sure, Nate. Yours is worse that Chris’s.”

The teens all laughed as Chris threw a half-hearted glare at his technology expert. “One of these days I’m going to remember I can fire you.”

“Not until you figure out that new satellite system.” JD smirked.

Everyone started laughing at that point and began taking turns greeting Rachel. When they all had a chance to give the brunette a hug, Nathan ushered her inside. He made sure she sat down and then went to get her a glass of water. The others found seats or sprawled around on the floor. Santana sat on the floor at Rachel’s feet. Buck, Mike, Vin, and JD sat on the floor in front of the television playing some kind of video game. In the kitchen, Tina helped Josiah and Nathan put together some snacks for everyone, laughing as the two men argued over healthy snacks versus junk food. Ezra sat on the couch, politely listening as Brittany described her cat’s criminal behavior. Chris sat in the other chair watching the whole menagerie with a bemused smile.

Rachel looked around the room, affection gleaming in her gaze as she watched her friends interact and joke around with the ATF agents. Puck sat on the arm of the chair and brushed her hair back.

“Hey,” he whispered. “What’re you thinking?”

She smiled up at him and announced. “I am an exceedingly fortunate girl.”

As everyone turned to smile at her, Santana leaned back and looked up at both of them. “No shit.”

Rachel tugged on a lock of her friend’s dark hair. “Santana, language!”

The room dissolved into laughter.

[   
](http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/Caitriona3/Big%20Bang%20Art/?action=view&current=mag1a-1.jpg)


End file.
